Op-ed by BJD MP Bhartruhari stirs hornet’s nest

Bhubaneswar: A seemingly isochronous flow of editorials from the MPs of the ruling BJD continues to stir the maelstrom of speculations over internal problems plaguing the party.

After Tathagat Satpathy and Baijayant Panda, BJD MP and the parliamentary party leader Bhartruhari Mahatab’s editorial in an Odia newspaper seems to highlight some of the problems raising ugly heads in the party.

Citing that the BJP is chalking out plans to get more seats both in the Parliament and Assembly, Bhartruhari noted in his article that the aggression of the saffron party has ruffled the feathers of BJD which has now started to make retaliatory comments. This only reflects the weakness of the party, he noted.

The article also details BJP’s strategies for the upcoming Assembly polls in various states vis-a-vis its plans for Odisha.

However, experts believe though the article has been written in a very calculated manner, it still gives a glimpse into some of the internal issues bickering in the party. In his article, the MP seems to be giving suggestions to his party on how it should function properly without getting too affected by others, added sources.

Bhartruhari’s comment on his article was not available, but BJD MP, Nagendra Pradhan said, “Whatever Bhartruhari has written is wrong even though it is his own personal opinion. BJD is not losing its cool and there are not any internal differences.”

“BJD is never making any statements out of anger or desperation. It is his personal opinion. But the party has no such weaknesses,” said BJD spokesperson, Surya Narayan Patra.

On the other hand, Odisha BJP’s Prithviraj Harichandan said, “As a MP and a senior member of the party, what Bhartruhari has highlighted is actually the truth. It seems that he has studied the innards of the party very well.”